Inside Report (4)

The "Fed" is being pressured not to report its weekly money-supply numbers. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker was besieged by bankers and business people at a recent New York dinner suggesting that his agency not report the numbers each week, since the financial markets react so violently to them.

Even if the Fed does eliminate the weekly numbers, that still won't stop Wall Street from speculating on the future direction of interest rates. The current consensus is that rates will stay at double-digit levels through the year.

Volcker told at least one petitioner that he hasn 't made up his mind yet on the weekly numbers matter.m